Letter #10.

Saturday Afternoon.

December 19, 1942.

My own darling,

Today I received another letter from you, and I can’t tell you how happy and elated I feel every time I hear from you. As I have told you before, I received the four letters you wrote in November, and letter #1 for December. And the letter today was #2 for December, written [on] the 6[th], and postmarked [on] the 10[th], so it doesn’t take it so very long to get here. The letter had been censored, but nothing cut out. And I was very interested in the paper note you had enclosed.

I am enclosing 4 pictures in this letter, which I hope you receive. You can see plenty of snow in the background of these pictures, and today there is even more outside than there was last Sunday when these were taken. I don’t think the two with me in them are very good---or do I really look like that? Ginger looks the same as ever, you can see. In that one picture of the yard and the snow, with Ginger in the foreground all down in the snow, doesn’t he look little and almost lost? About a couple of seconds after that picture was taken, he jumped high in the air, and ran around, and had a lot of fun. He seems to like the snow, except that it is so cold. He comes inside often to get warm, and then teases to go out again. And in the evening, when he can’t go out, he is so affectionate, and likes to sit in someone’s lap. He is cute.

You surely must be terribly busy. I realize that you have so much to do that there is scarcely time for anything else. Therefore, I’ll try not to expect too many letters [from you], and those that I do get, I will value and appreciate more than ever. It is always a thrill and a relief to hear from you, darling. I surely hope that by now you are receiving some mail. I can’t imagine what is holding it up, as I am writing as often as usual, and so are your folks. It seems as though some of the mail should get there soon. During the week, I write two or three V mail letters, and then on the week-end, usually Sunday, I write a regular air-mail letter like this. So I figure either one kind or the other should get to you.

I am writing this on Saturday afternoon, as you can see, instead of on Sunday afternoon or evening as has been my habit. The reason is that tomorrow evening I am having an informal supper, and am asking six of the girls. With Sylvia and I, it will bring the number to eight. I have asked Dorothy, Dolores, Mary Alice, Hope, Laura, and Ruth Johnston (who is married to an English sailor, and I can’t remember her married name.) It isn’t a birthday part, though it is the day before my birthday. But it just happened that it seemed a good time to have it. (And Tuesday, Sylvia is having a few of her friends in to play cards in the evening.) I didn’t ask Kathleen Hill, or rather I invited her, but knew she couldn’t come, as she is down to see Stanley at Miami Beach. I don’t know whether she is coming back this Monday or Tuesday, or will stay down over Christmas with him. She left a week ago tomorrow. And I didn’t any of the neighbors, because if I invited one, I would have to invite three or four, and anyway they have their families, and are busy getting ready for the holiday. So I just asked Dolores, because she is sort of alone. She is going down to see Joe on Tuesday or Wednesday and stay over Xmas, and maybe New Year’s too, but I don’t know. But I just wanted a few here tomorrow night. When you get back, then I’ll feel like throwing a big party, and we’ll incite all the neighborhood, dearest.

I am wondering if you will get any of the Christmas boxes we sent? The first of the week or else right after Christmas, I will get a couple of boxes off to you containing the things you asked for. Yes, darling, in several letters I have enclosed picture, or rather a picture of our house. I took some colored photographs, and only put one in each letter, so that if you didn’t get one, you would surely get the others. Here’s hoping you will get them all some day, and also most of the packages we have sent. It seems as though most of the letters and things will get to you eventually.

Yes, Sylvia hears from Verner. Of course, when he is out to sea, she can not hear from him, but she knows that and expects it, so [she] does not worry, as she knows he is all right. During the two or three weeks he is at the base, she always gets a lot of mail---the letters he has written while out, as well as the ones he writes after he gets back to the base. While here, I guess they don’t have much to do. She hopes he will have some leave in March---long enough to come home for two or three weeks.

I called your mother up this afternoon, and read part of you letter to her, and called your dad at the factory and read parts to him also.

This afternoon, we put the Christmas tree up, and will trim it tonight. It is a little earlier than usual, but we thought it would be nice to have it up before the supper party tomorrow night, although as I said before, that will be just a small informal affair. The tree is quite big---a pine. We will take a few pictures of it, and I’ll send you any that come out. We won’t have lights on it this year, as people have been requested not to, to save electricity. That seems like little enough to do, and we are only too willing to comply with the request. We have lots of lovely ornaments, and I can remember when I was a tiny girl, we didn’t have lights for the tree. They were practically unheard of.

I suppose you are wondering what you and I are giving the various people this year. To tell the truth, I didn’t feel much like doing Christmas shopping. It made me think of the times we had done it together, and that brought back other memories, and so on. But I finally got it all done. However, I don’t seem to have much Christmas Spirit this year. I hope I acquire some before the 25^th. I have thought a lot about the Christmases we spent together. The first one, 1936, we were in our apartment on the Boulevard. Then for three wonderful times, 1937, 1938, and 1939, we were on Brookfield Road. Remember the trees, the outside lights, the candles in the windows, and the pile of ice out in front? And in 1940, we were in Florida, and last year, 1941, in Louisiana with your dad and mother as guests. And now, before this Christmas is even passed, I’m looking forward to next year, Christmas 1943, when I hope we will be together again, safe and well. And after that, many, many years and many, many Christmases I am sure we will share together in our own home, and be even more appreciative of it, because of this separation from each other. Dearest, I hope that once we are reunited, it will never be necessary for us to be apart like this again.

I guess I started to tell you what we are giving as gifts this year---

Father Cook---the handsfs. [handkerchiefs] you sent, a set of six jigger glasses with small cruet or bottle to match, and two sets of hi-jacs. The latter are those covers for glasses, like we had in different colors; and your mother said that he did not have any of the small glasses.

Mother Cook---the handkfs. you sent, a set of Helena Rubenstein things, including cologne, soap, bath oil, bath powder, etc., and a plastic compact with a copy of a famous painting on the top.

Dorothy---the handkfs. you sent, and a Helena Rubenstein set, similar to the one for Mother Cook, but not quite so large.

Don---three pairs of socks, and some tobacco.

Bobby---an airplane that you wind up, and it goes along the floor, and turns a somersault, or goes straight, according to the way you set the glider. (I like to play with it, myself.) Also $2.00 in war stamps. (He is very fond of war stamps, and that is what he bought with the birthday money his father sent him, and it was his own idea, too. So I know he will like them.)

Father W.---The handks. you sent, and an umbrella (which he badly needs.)

Grandma W.---3 handkfs. you sent, a slip, some of her favorite bath salts.

Sylvia---3 handkfs. you sent, a serving tray of metal, painted black with some pretty bright flowers on it (one she admired in the store.)

Aunt Sadie---3 handkfs. you sent, 3 pairs of stockings with the special kind of tops, a thing to stop runs.

Grandma Cook and Klock---3 handkfs. you sent, subscriptions to the Reader’s Digest.

Grandma Klock---the handkfs. you sent, subscription to the Digest.

Aunts Frieda, Charlotte, and Pearl---3 handkfs. apiece that you sent.

I marked everything from both of us, dear. I hope the above [is] satisfactory. I spent about the same on each parent; and each Grandparent; and on Aunt Sadie and Sylvia. And for Dorothy and Bobby I spent a trifle more than for Aunt Sadie and for Sylvia, but not much, and for Don, just a little less than for Dorothy, but not much.

I got a present for Margaret McLaughlin from just me, as of course you do not even know her. She is head of the Home Service Department, you know, at Red Cross. She has been so nice, and I like her a lot. She always stops takes me to work in the morning, usually takes me back and forth at noon, and always brings me home at night, unless I have some shopping to do along the way, and walk. I got her a cigarette case, as she smokes quite a lot, and lost one of hers a short time ago. It isn’t a very expensive one, but is quite attractive I thought. And I forgot to tell you---I got Roy a box of cigars from me, as he takes care of the car, and washes it, and sees that the tires are pumped, etc. and I got from Florence and Mattie each a purse, and a lapel pin for Elsie.

All the cards have been sent out. We have received several cards so far, and after Xmas, I will send you a complete list of the cards received. One came from the Mauldins, on Bayou Drive, yesterday. She wrote a little note inside, in answer to one I wrote to her a month or two ago. She said our former house was in good hands, and they took care of it nicely. She also said the pecan crop was not up to par this year.

I must tell you an amusing incident about one for the M.P.’s stationed here. They are colored, you remember, but the officers are white. Well, one of the men had a furlough, and was two or three days late coming back. Capt. Cole asked him the reason for being late, and he said that his wife had an accident. He explained that she fell down stairs, broke her glasses, cut her eye, and that one eye had to be removed. So Captain Cole phoned us and asked us to verify it, and to find out on what date the accident occurred. So we sent a wire to his home Red Cross Chapter. The next morning we received a reply that they had contacted the soldier’s wife, and that such an accident as we described had happened---in 1939. We told Captain Cole, and how he laughed. I presume, however, that when he talked to the soldier about it, he didn’t even smile.

Florence fell a couple of nights ago when she was going out to a party of something, and instead of coming home, she went right on, and as a result, she has been limping around with a lame hip for the past two days. She is about all right today, so will probably be O.K. by tomorrow or Monday.

In case you missed one of my letters, I paid $488.24 on the mortgage last week, on Dec. 10, to be exact. That includes the $100.00 you sent in the early fall. I would have paid more, but I wanted to leave quite a bit in the back, as I have to buy the car license, pay on both your insurance and mine, and in March and April are Federal and state income taxes, which will be a lot, I guess. So I won’t pay any more on it until after those tings are all paid. The Dec. payment on the house was #124. I paid the beginning with #125 through the #138. the January payment will be #139. So that paid up more than a year.

I hope you are all over your cold and cough by now, honey. Take care of yourself, dear. You don’t want to get sick, I know.

I am saving some T.B. stamps from this year for you.

Your letters are so interesting, darling. But even if you don’t have the time to write a long one, just write a short one telling me how you are, and I will understand.

The handkerchiefs you sent are all lovely and unusual, and I know everyone will be very much delighted with them on Christmas. I adore those with my initial on, and also the 6 plain ones I picked out for my birthday; and the ones you sent for an anniversary gift are lovely too. The ear-rings for my birthday are simply grand, and go so perfectly with my nice ring. It was so thoughtful to remember I wanted some, and to get them for me. Thanks so much, dearest. And the Christmas gift you sent me, the bracelet, is beautiful and gorgeous. It is very unusual, and so very, very intricate, dainty, and lovely. I am thrilled with it. Thanks just loads for everything, precious! It is hard to write just how much I like all the wonderful things you have sent, but when you return, I can tell better.

How I dream of your return, and of the time we will be together once more. I know that every passing day brings that time nearer, and it is a help. My thoughts and prayers are always with you, darling, and my love travels across the ocean to you. I can’t begin to tell you of all the ways I miss you, or how much I miss you. I love you with all my heart, dearest. God bless you, sweetheart, and bring you home soon, safe and well.

All my love and kisses,

Your most devoted wife,

Jeanette.